Turkiye Continues Dialogue With Western Countries on Grain Deal Resumption - Source

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ankara continues its dialogue with Western partners on the resumption of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and continues an interdepartmental dialogue with Russia as well, a source in Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's administration has told Sputnik.

"Of course, [the dialogue] is underway. In parallel, we are also in dialog with Russia, with specific agencies. Mr. President [Erdogan] has repeatedly emphasized the importance of this initiative for countries in need," the source said when asked whether Ankara was in talks with Western partners to remove obstacles to the export of Russian food products and ammonia.

Later in the day, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Ankara intends to make efforts to facilitate the resumption of the grain deal, adding that the primary goal for the Turkish diplomacy will be to achieve deescalation in various conflict zones in the region.

"We will continue to work hard and steadily to end the conflict in Ukraine and achieve an equitable peace ... As a Montreux Convention member state, our fundamental priority will be to ensure peace, especially in the Black Sea, and to counter any attempts to threaten it," Fidan said at the Turkish Ambassadors Conference in Ankara.

Turkiye will continue to maintain contact with all parties to the grain deal in order to facilitate its resumption, the minister said, adding that during the weekend, he discussed it with his US and Ukrainian colleagues.

Meanwhile, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani believes that Turkiye is the only country that can achieve an agreement with Russia and Ukraine on food supplies via the Black Sea while the grain prices are soaring.

"The poorest countries who do not get the grain are paying the highest price," he said in an interview with a Italian newspaper. "I don't know how much the Africans bought. Egypt definitely [bought] a lot. But the prices for wheat and grain are growing, that is the main problem. A deal needs to be struck by Russia and Ukraine, brokered by Turkiye, the only country right know that can do it. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin will go to Turkiye in August, and I hope an agreement will be made," Tajani said.

The Turkiye- and UN-mediated Black Sea Grain Initiative, which provided for a humanitarian corridor to allow exports of Ukrainian grain over the past year, expired on July 18, as Russia did not renew its participation in the deal. Moscow said that the deal's component on facilitating Russian grain and fertilizer exports had not been fulfilled.

The Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits of 1936 ensures the freedom of passage through Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits for merchant ships both in times of peace and war. The document limits the period of stay in the Black Sea of warships of non-Black Sea states to three weeks. In emergency situations, Turkiye has the right to prohibit or restrict the passage of military ships through the straits.